Get ready for the return of Sonny Kiriakis on “Days of our Lives,” albeit in the five-part limited spinoff series “Days of our Lives: Beyond Salem” set to premiere soon on Peacock, NBCUniversal’s streaming service.
Peacock announced today that “The Young and the Restless” actor Zach Tinker (Fenmore Baldwin) has been cast in the role, replacing Freddie Smith.
Joining Tinker will be Chandler Massey who will reprise his role as Sonny’s husband, Will Horton. Another returnee is Greg Rikaart (Kevin Fisher, “Y&R”) as Sonny and Will’s nemesis Leo Stark.
In “Beyond Salem,” “DAYS” cast members Deidre Hall, Drake Hogestyn, Jackée Harry, Victoria Konefal, Robert Scott Wilson, Billy Flynn, Lamon Archey and Sal Stowers are joined by returning cast member Lisa Rinna as they find their Salem characters spending a long weekend scattered around different parts of the world: John and Marlena (Hall and Hogestyn) travel to Zurich, Ben and Ciara (Wilson and Konefal) have a romantic getaway in New Orleans, Chad (Flynn) visits some old friends in Phoenix, and Abe, Paulina, Lani, and Eli (Reynolds, Harry, Archey and Stowers) vacation in Miami. What they don’t realize is that they are all part of a mystery involving stolen jewels which, in the wrong hands, could cause dire consequences for Salem. Enter ISA agent Reed (Rinna) as she crosses the globe in search of the missing treasure.
Incidentally, ever since it was announced there would be a spinoff of “DAYS,” fans had speculated that Sonny and Will wouldn’t be far behind particularly in relation to the storyline involving Chad visiting friends in Phoenix.
So why the recast? Smith recently revealed on his “Freddie & Alyssa” podcast that he had decided long ago not to return to “DAYS” even if producers asked him. “A couple of months ago, I did make the decision for ourselves, our futures, that if ‘DAYS’ were ever to call — I know this is going to be disappointing to so many of you — I would not go back,” Smith said. It’s unclear if said call was ever made.
In addition to “Beyond Salem” and “Y&R,” Tinker’s credits also include appearances in such TV shows as “L.A.’s Finest,” “Station 19,” “American Horror Story” and “13 Reasons Why,” among others. He recently completed work on the series “Happy Hazel” for Radiant Studios.